Culinary ramblings of a mischievous cook. Recipes,pictures,diary entries and all things foodie.Follow a journey of life in the east Algarve, Portugal...

Monday, 19 May 2014

Cold salmon cassoulet-like winter in July

An amalgamation of Iberican colours and flavours

Cassoulet is one of my very favourite dishes, but I usually only cook
and eat it during the colder months, as it is traditional comfort food.
However, it contains some fabulous ingredients that with a bit of meddling can provide a stunning dish for outdoor eating in a warmer clime, in this case the sunny Algarve.What is whole and hearty for winter can become garden party "arty" for summer. The classic cassoulet should contain haricot beans,garlic sausage, lardons, duck confit,thyme and breadcrumbs.The “correct authentic” recipe is always hotly debated.In different parts of South West France where the dish originated, they all have their own regional recipe.So despite the summer heat, and in defiance of possible French judgement of the merits of my recreation, I decided to
“deconstruct” the recipe and then “reconstruct” it into
a fabulous summer dish.I took most of the principal elements of a classic cassoulet and reinvented it.Not everybody will be delighted to hear that I substituted poached salmon for the pork.Haricot beans kept my recipe true to the original but I embellished it with two more bean varieties - feijao verde( Portuguese green beans or runner beans), and fava beans. I incorporated a smidgen of Spain by adding some Pequillo peppers and rounded it all off with a fresh dressing that brought an Iberican unity to the dish.Plated up on our Moroccan mosaic garden table on a barmy early summers evening a simple twist of tastes became life altering despite the simplicity.

Place the salt, peppercorns and bay leaves in a large deep frying pan with 5 cups (40 fl oz ) of water and bring to the boil. Cook for 5 minutes then remove from the heat. Add the salmon, cover and leave for 15 minutes. Remove the fish from the stock, carefully skin and break into strips or large chunks. Toss all the salad ingredients together in half the dressing. Plate up the salmon on a bed of the salad with the rest of the dressing poured over the top and a sprinkling of fresh thyme.

About Me

I´m a self-taught cook.From my childhood in Scotland through growing up in South East England, my mother was my formative influence. Holidays in Europe, America,Africa and Scandinavia fed me with culinary inspiration. Fifteen years of holidaying in Tavira, led me to up roots and follow the dream to live in Portugal. Here in Castro Marim we run a small guest house, Casa Rosada.Relocation has opened my eyes and taste buds to how recipes and their ingredients can change and develop when incorporated into another country´s food culture and how foreigners like myself adapt the local dishes,bringing a new slant to them.In the last three years I have been researching and cooking traditional Portugueses dishes and then inventing a modern twist to them. I´ve started this food blog so I can share new recipes and a slice of Algarvian life here at Casa Rosada here in Castro Marim.